1
as in struggled
to devote serious and sustained effort
everyone really hustled to get the project finished on schedule
Synonyms & Similar Words
Relevance
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
2
as in hurried
to proceed or move quickly
we'd better hustle, or we'll miss the train
Synonyms & Similar Words
Antonyms & Near Antonyms
3
as in squeezed
to rob by the use of trickery or threats
a swindler who hustled cashiers by getting them all confused while they were making change
Synonyms & Similar Words
Example Sentences
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to
show current usage.
Read More
Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors.
Send us feedback.
Recent Examples of hustled
His attacker, the man in black, was hustled off the stage.
—
Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
As the lights came up, Taylor had already been hustled out, as had Arnaud.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Toronto hustled to a 14-point advantage before settling for a 32-24 lead after one quarter.
—Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Fiala hustled back to block Eichel’s shot, but Eichel recovered it to find Stone on the doorstep for an uncontested winner.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Then there’s the vehicle that Good was fatally shot in being hustled away on a flatbed truck.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
As a Canucks player carried the puck through the neutral zone, Zach Benson hustled back, lifted his stick and stole the puck before the offensive rush could even get started.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
My mother—an incredible single mom of four kids—just hustled.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 5 Dec. 2025
Maybury then hustled to a Quick Cash, a food pantry — where she was turned away — and an aid organization.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2025
Anderson Cooper, CBS News, 9 Feb. 2026
As the lights came up, Taylor had already been hustled out, as had Arnaud.
—Eve Batey, Vanity Fair, 7 Feb. 2026
Toronto hustled to a 14-point advantage before settling for a 32-24 lead after one quarter.
—Oc Register, 17 Jan. 2026
Fiala hustled back to block Eichel’s shot, but Eichel recovered it to find Stone on the doorstep for an uncontested winner.
—Andrew Knoll, Daily News, 15 Jan. 2026
Then there’s the vehicle that Good was fatally shot in being hustled away on a flatbed truck.
—Letters To The Editor, The Orlando Sentinel, 15 Jan. 2026
As a Canucks player carried the puck through the neutral zone, Zach Benson hustled back, lifted his stick and stole the puck before the offensive rush could even get started.
—Matthew Fairburn, New York Times, 14 Jan. 2026
My mother—an incredible single mom of four kids—just hustled.
—Sam Reed, Glamour, 5 Dec. 2025
Maybury then hustled to a Quick Cash, a food pantry — where she was turned away — and an aid organization.
—Blake Nelson, San Diego Union-Tribune, 29 Nov. 2025
Recent Examples of Synonyms for hustled
Verb
-
With its dynamic freshman depleted from flu and another starter, Chad Baker-Mazara, still out due to injury, USC struggled to find a consistent source of offense.—
Ryan Kartje,
Los Angeles Times,
19 Feb. 2026
-
Founder Sherille Riley, who previously worked as a facialist for high-end brands like La Prairie and Crème de la Mer, had until recently struggled to shop for K-beauty in person and initially bought the products online – only to run the risk of long shipping times or unknowingly buying a fake.—
Kati Chitrakorn,
CNN Money,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
John Helmick hurried to book a flight to San Antonio from his home in Las Vegas after learning his former cross-country coach at Texas had entered the end-of-life stage of hospice care.—
Tom Orsborn,
San Antonio Express-News,
1 Feb. 2026
-
In the wake of the killings of Renee Good and then Alex Pretti in Minneapolis, federal officials hurried to television cameras and social media accounts.—
Bill Shaikin,
Los Angeles Times,
1 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
Small businesses and farmers got squeezed.—
Justin Papp,
CNBC,
20 Feb. 2026
-
Vendors built on per-seat licensing and static tools are seeing their economics squeezed as AI systems compress development timelines and reduce maintenance overhead.—
David Stout,
Fortune,
19 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
When the novel opens in Florence, in 1557, the body of the painter Jacopo da Pontormo lies in the chapel of San Lorenzo—in front of the frescoes he’d labored over for a decade, with a painter’s chisel stuck in his heart.—
Boris Kachka,
The Atlantic,
13 Feb. 2026
-
Aster didn’t micromanage as Tracy labored over the script and suffered a bout of COVID during lockdown.—
Anne Thompson,
IndieWire,
11 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The clatter of rising shutters echoed through the empty streets, the occasional rambler scurried past, along the walls, bundled tightly in his coat, women walked by with milk bottles tucked in shawls wrapped around their chests.—
Literary Hub,
Literary Hub,
22 Jan. 2026
-
Tirado scurried to at least half a dozen bags before finding his and pulling out … pickle juice.—
Don Norcross,
San Diego Union-Tribune,
30 Nov. 2025
Verb
-
The Las Vegas Raiders plucked away offensive coordinator Klint Kubiak and hired him as their head coach.—
Andrew Destin,
Fortune,
18 Feb. 2026
-
The Angel Hold Hair Styling Cream gives expensive-looking waves and smooth, frizz-free hair that looks like you just got plucked up from a Greek vacation.—
Reece Andavolgyi,
InStyle,
17 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
The couple moved to the Middle East and worked as pastor and pastor’s wife, ministering to expatriates, learning Arabic and homeschooling their growing brood.—
Rachel Clarke,
CNN Money,
22 Feb. 2026
-
Some groups like Ramapo and the DNA Doe Project, a pioneering nonprofit that has worked with law enforcement agencies and medical examiners to help solve more than 150 cases using genetic genealogy, rely in part or entirely on networks of volunteers for their genealogy work and do it at no cost.—
Tim Stelloh,
NBC news,
21 Feb. 2026
Verb
-
According to a preliminary investigation, the crash occurred when the white Nissan sped south on Virginia Avenue.—
Kacen Bayless,
Kansas City Star,
17 Feb. 2026
-
Streamed live on YouTube, the two and half hour ceremony was (blissfully) commercial free, which sped things up but meant guests didn’t have the usual opportunity to mix and mingle.—
Paul Chi,
Vogue,
16 Feb. 2026
Cite this Entry
“Hustled.” Merriam-Webster.com Thesaurus, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/hustled. Accessed 22 Feb. 2026.
Copy CitationLove words? Need even more definitions?
Merriam-Webster unabridged
